UCPI Evidence Hearings | Tranche 3 (Phase 3) | Day 11 - (30 June 2026) - AM

This video features testimony from a senior SDS officer during the UK's Public Inquiry into Metropolitan Police misconduct, revealing how undercover operations like Operation Lime (a 2001 gun run to France) required complex risk management decisions that prioritized operational secrecy over formal accountability. The witness explains that disciplinary decisions were influenced by concerns about exposing the entire SDS operation, which was authorized by high-level government officials, creating a culture where informal discipline was preferred over formal charges to protect both the operation and the officers involved. This case illustrates the fundamental tension in covert policing between maintaining operational effectiveness and ensuring proper oversight, as officers must balance the need for secrecy with the ethical obligation to report misconduct.